Selena
Selena (married name: Selena Quintanilla-Pérez, born: Selena Quintanilla; April 16, 1971 - March 31, 1995) was a Mexican-American singer. The youngest child of a Mexican-American couple, Selena released her 1st album at 12 years old. She won Female Vocalist of the Year at the 1987 Tejano Music Awards and landed a recording contract with EMI a few years later. Her fame grew throughout the early 1990s, especially in Spanish-speaking countries. Selena attained further notability in North America after she was murdered at the age of 23 by Yolanda Saldívar, the president of her fan club. On April 12, 1995, two weeks after her death, George W. Bush, governor of Texas at the time, declared her birthday "Selena Day" in Texas.Orozco, Cynthia E. Quintanilla Pérez, Selena. The Handbook of Texas online. Retrieved on May 29, 2009 Warner Bros. produced Selena, a film based on her life starring Jennifer Lopez in 1997. Selena's life was also the basis of the musical Selena Forever starring Veronica Vazquez as Selena. As of June 2006, Selena was commemorated with a museum and a bronze life-sized statue (Mirador de la Flor in Corpus Christi, Texas), which are visited by hundreds of fans each week. Selena has achieved critical and commercial success, winning numerous awards before and after her death, and selling over 65 million records worldwide. Early Life Selena Quintanilla was born on April 16, 1971 in California. She was the youngest child of Marcella Ofelia Quintanilla (née Samora) (who had Cherokee ancestry) and Abraham Quintanilla Jr., a Mexican-American former musician. She was raised as a Jehovah's Witness. Quintanilla, Jr. noticed his daughter's musical abilities when she was six years old. He told People magazine, "Her timing, her pitch were perfect, I could see it from day one". In 1980 in Lake Jackson, Quintanilla, Jr. opened his first Tex-Mex restaurant, Papa Gayo's, where Selena and her siblings Abraham III (on bass guitar) and Suzette Quintanilla (on drums) would often perform. The following year, Papa Gayo's was forced to close after a recession caused by the 1980s oil glut. The Quintanillas declared bankruptcy and were evicted from their home. The family settled in Corpus Christi, Texas; Quintanilla, Jr. became manager of the newly formed band Selena y Los Dinos and began promoting it; they needed money, so they played on street corners, at weddings, at quinceañeras, and at fairs. As her popularity as a singer grew, the demands of Selena's performance and travel schedule began to interfere with her education. Her father took her out of school when she was in the eighth grade. However, Selena's teacher Marilyn Greer disapproved of Selena's musical career; she threatened to report Quintanilla, Jr. to the Texas Board of Education, believing the conditions to which Selena was exposed were inappropriate for a girl her age. Quintanilla, Jr. told Greer to "mind her business." Other teachers expressed their concerns when they noticed how tired Selena appeared when she arrived at school. When she was 17 years old, Selena earned a high school diploma from the American School of Correspondence in Chicago and was also accepted at Louisiana State University. She eventually enrolled at Pacific Western University, taking up business administration as her major subject. Quintanilla, Jr. refurbished an old bus (which the family used as their tour bus) and named it "Big Bertha." In the first years of touring, the family sang for food and barely had enough money to pay for gasoline. In 1984, Selena recorded her first LP record, "Selena y Los Dinos" for the Freddie Records label. Despite wanting to record English-language songs, Selena recorded Tejano music compositions; a male-dominated, Spanish-language genre with German influences of polka, jazz, and country music, popularized by Mexicans living in the United States. Quintanilla, Jr. believed that Selena should record musical compositions related to her heritage. During the recording sessions for the album, Selena had to learn Spanish phonetically with guidance from her father. In 1985, to promote the album, Selena appeared on the Johnny Canales Show, a popular Spanish-language radio program, on which she continued to appear for several years. Selena was discovered by musician Rick Trevino, founder of the Tejano Music Awards, where she won the Female Vocalist of the Year award in 1987 and for nine consecutive years after. The band was often turned down by Texas music venues due to the members' ages and because Selena was their lead singer. Selena's father was often told by promoters that Selena would never be successful because she was a woman in a genre historically dominated by men. By 1988, she had released five more LP records; "Alpha" (in 1986), "Munequito de Trapo" (in 1987), "And the Winner is..." (in 1987), "Preciosa" (in 1988) and "Dulce Amor" (in 1988). Success In 1989, José Behar (the former head of the Sony Latin Music division) signed Selena with Capitol/EMI Latin, a record company he founded after watching her perform at the 1989 Tejano Music Awards. Behar was searching for new Latin acts and wanted to sign Selena to EMI's label Capitol Records, while Sony Music Latin offered Quintanilla, Jr. twice Capitol's signing fee. Behar thought he had discovered the "next Gloria Estefan", but his superior called him illogical because he had been in South Texas less than a week. Quintanilla, Jr. chose EMI Latin's offer because of the potential for a crossover album, and wanted his children to be the first musicians to sign to the label. Before Selena began recording for her debut album, Behar and Stephen Finfer requested a crossover album for her. Selena recorded three English-language compositions for the heads of EMI's pop division. However, Behar and Finfer's request for a crossover album was denied and Selena was told she needed a bigger fan base to sell such an album. Behar thought EMI Records and the public did not believe that a Mexican American woman could have "crossover potential" after Charles Koppelman denied the project. On October 17, 1989, Selena released her self-titled debut album She recorded most of the songs at AMEN Studios in San Antonio, Texas; "Sukiyaki" and "My Love" were recorded at Sunrise Studios in Houston. Selena wrote "My Love" and wanted the song to be included on the album. Her brother A.B., became Selena's principal record producer and songwriter for most of her musical career,39 though did not write the tracks "Sukiyaki", "Contigo Quiero Estar", and "No Te Vayas".40 "Sukiyaki" was originally recorded in Japanese in the 1960s by Kyu Sakamoto; Selena used a translation into Spanish of an English version of the song by Janice Marie Johnson. The album peaked at number seven on the US Billboard Regional Mexican Albums chart, becoming Selena's first recording to debut on a national music chart. It also performed better than other recordings from other contemporaneous female Tejano singers. In the same year, Coca-Cola wanted Selena to become one of their spokespeople in Texas. The jingle used in her first two commercials for the company were composed by A.B. and Chris Pérez (the latter of whom had joined Selena y Los Dinos several months earlier as the band's new guitarist). Pérez began having romantic feelings for Selena, despite having a girlfriend in San Antonio. After a trip down to Mexico with the band, Pérez thought that would be best for them both to distance himself from Selena, but he found that impossible and chose to try to build a relationship with her. Pérez and Selena expressed their feelings for each other at a Pizza Hut restaurant, and shortly afterwards became a couple. They hid their relationship, fearing that Quintanilla, Jr. would try to break it up. In September of 1990, Selena released her sophomore album, "Ven Conmigo." Three tracks from the album were released as singles; "Ya Ves", "La Tracalera", and "Baila Esta Cumbia". The latter, a Tejano cumbia song, became one of Selena's most successful single. Its popularity grew in Mexico, where a compilation album bearing the single's name was released there, which was certified platinum by the Asociación Mexicana de Productores de Fonogramas y Videogramas (AMPROFON), denoting sales of 150,000 units. A registered nurse and fan named Yolanda Saldívar asked Quintanilla, Jr. to start a fan club in San Antonio, Texas. Saldívar had the idea after attending one of Selena's concerts. Quintanilla, Jr. approved Saldívar's request; he believed the fan club would bring more exposure for the band. Saldívar soon became a close friend to Selena and the family; she was trusted and became the acting president of the fan club in 1991. During that same year, Salvadoran singer Álvaro Torres composed a duet he wanted to record with Selena The song, "Buenos Amigos", was produced by Enrique Elizondo and was released on Torres' tenth studio album, "Nada Se Compara Contigo" (released in 1991). "Buenos Amigos" peaked at number one on the US Billboard Top Latin Songs chart, giving Selena her first number one single. The song's music video earned Selena and Torres two nominations at the 1992 Billboard Music Awards. The song was also nominated for Duo of the Year at the 1992 Tejano Music Awards. Biographer Deborah Parédez wrote that the track enabled Selena to tour the west and east coasts of the United States. According to John Lannert of Billboard magazine, "Buenos Amigos" was helped by increased airplay on regional Mexican and Tejano radio stations, which had previously dismissed Selena's recordings. After Selena's sister, Suzette discovered Selena and Pérez flirting with each other and immediately informed their father. Quintanilla, Jr. took Pérez off the bus and told him his relationship with Selena was over. Despite her father's disapproval, Selena continued her relationship with Pérez and her mother approved of their relationship. Quintanilla, Jr. saw Selena and Pérez romantically together on the bus after he informed them of his disapproval; he pulled over and an argument between Quintanilla, Jr. and Selena ensued. He called Pérez a "cancer in my family" and threatened to disband the group if they continued their relationship. Selena and Pérez relented; Quintanilla, Jr. fired Pérez from the band and prevented Selena from leaving with him. After his dismissal from the band, Pérez and Selena secretly continued their relationship. On the morning of April 2, 1992, Selena and Pérez decided to elope, believing Quintanilla, Jr. would never approve of their relationship. Selena thought Quintanilla, Jr. would have to accept them if they were married, and they wouldn't have to hide their feelings for each other. Within hours of their marriage, the media announced the couple's elopement. Selena's family tried to find her; Quintanilla, Jr. did not take the news well and alienated himself for some time. Selena and Pérez moved into an apartment in Corpus Christi, Texas. In interviews, Quintanilla, Jr. expressed how he feared Pérez could be a machista (Spanish for a male chauvinist), who would force Selena to end her career and music goals, a move that prevented Quintanilla, Jr. to accept Pérez as being suitable for Selena at the time. Quintanilla, Jr. later approached Pérez, apologized, accepted the marriage, and took Pérez back into the band. A month after her elopement, Selena released her third studio album, "Entre a Mi Mundo" in May 1992. The album was critically acclaimed as her "breakthrough album." The recording peaked at number one on the US Billboard Regional Mexican Albums chart for eight consecutive months;75 it was certified 10x platinum by the RIAA for sales of 600,000 album-equivalent units,76 while in Mexico, the album sold 385,000 units. "Entre a Mi Mundo" became the first Tejano album by a female artist to sell over 300,000 copies. Selena was booked for a high-profile border press tour in Monterrey, Mexico, with music media types in a meet-and-greet conference. At the time, Tejanos were looked down on as "hayseed pochos" among Mexican citizens. Selena's Spanish was far from fluent and EMI Latin executives were "terrified" about her limited Spanish during the press conference for the album in Mexico. According to Patoski, Selena "played her cards right" during the conference and won over the Mexican media after newspapers hailed her as "an artist of the people". The newspapers found her to be a refreshing change from Mexican telenovela actors "who were fair-skinned, blond-haired, and green-eyed." After Selena's publicity press, she was booked to play at several concerts throughout Mexico, including a performance at Festival Acapulco in May 1993, which garnered her critical acclaim. Her performance in Nuevo Leon on September 17, 1993 was attended by 70,000 people, garnering her the title of the biggest Tejano act in Mexico. The album produced four singles; "Como la Flor", "¿Qué Creías?", "La Carcacha", and "Amame". "Como la Flor" became Selena's signature recording; it was critically acclaimed by music critics as a career launcher for Selena. "Como la Flor" helped Selena to dominate the Latin music charts and become immensely popular in Mexico (where Mexican-Americans were generally not liked among citizens) which was well received by critics. The track was nominated for "Song of the Year" at the 1993 Tejano Music Awards. The single peaked at number six on the US Billboard Top Latin Songs chart. In 1994, "Entre a Mi Mundo" ranked as the second best-selling regional Mexican album of all-time. Selena released "Live!" a year after Entre a Mi Mundo; it was recorded during a free concert at the Memorial Coliseum in Corpus Christi, on February 7, 1993. The album included previously released tracks that were sung live and three studio recordings; "No Debes Jugar", "La Llamada", and "Tú Robaste Mi Corazón" (a duet with Tejano musician Emilio Navaira). The tracks "No Debes Jugar" and "La Llamada" peaked within the top five on the US Billboard Top Latin Songs chart. "Live!" won the Grammy Award for Best Mexican/American Album at the 36th Grammy Awards. In May of 1994, it was named "Album of the Year" by the Billboard Latin Music Awards. At the 1994 Tejano Music Awards, Live! won "Album of the Year" while at the 1994 Lo Nuestro Awards, it was nominated for "Regional Mexican Album of the Year". "Live!" was certified gold by the RIAA for shipments of 500,000 copies, while in Mexico it sold 250,000 units. Selena briefly appeared opposite Erik Estrada in a Mexican telenovela titled Dos Mujeres, Un Camino. In 1995, Selena entered negotiations to star in another telenovela produced by Emilio Larrosa. She appeared in two episodes, which garnered record ratings for the series. In 1994 (aside from music), Selena began designing and manufacturing a line of clothing; she opened two boutiques called Selena Etc.: one in Corpus Christi, Texas and the other in San Antonio, Texas. Both were equipped with in-house beauty salons. She was in negotiations to open up more stores in Monterrey, Mexico, and Puerto Rico. Yolanda Saldívar managed both boutiques after the Quintanilla family were impressed with the way she managed the fan club. Hispanic Business magazine reported that Selena earned over five million dollars from these boutiques. She was ranked among the twentieth-wealthiest Hispanic musicians who grossed the highest income in 1993 and 1994. In March of 1994, Selena released her fourth studio album, "Amor Prohibido." The recording debuted at number three on the US Billboard Top Latin Albums chart and #1 on the US Billboard Regional Mexican Albums charts. After peaking at number one on the Top Latin Albums, the album remained in the top five for the remainder of the year and into early 1995. It became the second Tejano album to reach year-end sales of 500,000 copies, which had previously only been accomplished by La Mafia, and became one of the best-selling Latin albums in the United States. The album spawned four number one singles; the title track, "Bidi Bidi Bom Bom", "No Me Queda Más", and "Fotos y Recuerdos". It was among the best selling U.S. albums of 1995 and has been certified 36x platinum by the RIAA for sales of 2.16 million album-equivalent units in the United States. It was named on Tom Moon's 2008 list of the "1,000 Recordings to Hear Before You Die: A Listener's Life List." Amor Prohibido popularized Tejano music among a younger and wider audience than at any other time in the genre's history. The two singles from the album, "Amor Prohibido" and "No Me Queda Más", were the most successful US Latin singles of 1994 and 1995, respectively. The commercial success of "Amor Prohibido" led to a Grammy nomination for Best Mexican/American Album at the 37th Grammy Awards in 1995. It won "Record of the Year" at the 1995 Tejano Music Awards and Regional/Mexican Album of the Year at the 1995 Lo Nuestro Awards. Selena was named "one of Latin music's most successful touring acts" during her "Amor Prohibido" tour. After the release of "Amor Prohibido," Selena was considered "bigger than Tejano itself", and broke barriers in the Latin music world. She was called the "Queen of Tejano music" by many media outlets. Billboard magazine ranked "Amor Prohibido" among the most essential Latin recordings of the past 50 years and included it on its list of the top 100 albums of all-time. In 2017, NPR ranked "Amor Prohibido" at #19 on their list of the 150 greatest albums made by women. Sales of the album and its titular single represented Tejano music's first commercial success in Puerto Rico. Selena recorded a duet titled "Donde Quiera Que Estés" with the Barrio Boyzz, which was released on their album of the same name in 1994. The song reached number one on the Top Latin Songs chart, which enabled her to tour in New York City, Argentina, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, and Central America, where she was not well known. In late 1994, EMI chairman Charles Koppelman decided that Selena had achieved her goals in the Spanish-speaking market, and wanted to promote her as an English-language solo pop artist. Selena continued touring while EMI began preparing the crossover album, engaging Grammy Award-winning composers. By the time Selena performed to a record-breaking, sold out concert at the Houston Astrodome in February 1995, work had already begun on her crossover album. In 1995, she made a cameo appearance in the film "Don Juan DeMarco" (which starred Marlon Brando, Johnny Depp, and Faye Dunaway). Death In early 1994, the Quintanilla family appointed Yolanda Saldívar as manager of Selena's boutiques. Eight months later, Selena signed her as her registered agent in San Antonio, Texas. After the agreement, Saldívar moved from San Antonio, Texas to Corpus Christi, Texas to be closer to Selena. In December 1994, the boutiques began to suffer after the number of staff for both stores had decreased. According to staff members, Saldívar often dismissed employees she personally disliked. Employees at the stores regularly complained about her behavior to Selena, who dismissed the claims, believing that Saldívar would not negatively impose erratic decisions on Selena's fashion venture. According to Quintanilla, Jr., the staff later turned their attention to him and began informing him about Saldívar's behavior. Quintanilla, Jr. took the claims seriously; he told Selena to "be careful" and said Saldívar may not be a good influence. However, Selena dismissed her father's inquiries because he had often distrusted people in the past. By January of 1995, Selena's fashion designer Martin Gomez, her cousin Debra Ramirez, and clients expressed their concerns over Saldívar's behavior and management skills. During an interview with Saldívar in 1995, reporters from The Dallas Morning News said her devotion to Selena bordered on obsession. According to Quintanilla, Jr., in January 1995, he began receiving telephone calls from fans who said they had paid for membership in the Selena fan club and had received nothing in return for it. He began an investigation where he discovered that Saldívar had embezzled more than $30,000 via forged checks from both the fan club and the boutiques. On the night of March 9, 1995, Quintanilla, Jr. held a meeting with Selena and Suzette at Q-Productions to confront Saldívar. He presented Saldívar with the inconsistencies concerning the disappeared funds. Quintanilla, Jr. told her that if she didn't provide evidence that disproved his accusations, he would involve the local police. He banned Saldívar from having any contact with Selena. However, Selena did not want to dissolve their friendship and thought that Saldívar was essential to the success of the clothing line in Mexico. She also wanted to keep her close because she had bank records, statements and financial records necessary for tax preparation. In the days before Selena's death, Saldívar delayed handing over the bank statements and financial records, claiming that she had been physically and sexually assaulted in Mexico. On March 31, 1995, Saldívar (along with Selena) appeared at a medical clinic, ostensibly to have Saldívar examined for an assault which she claimed happened to her in Monterrey. During that visit, Saldívar was given a brief physical examination by the clinic's doctor, but this did not include a gynecological exam specifically done in cases of sexual assault. It was suggested by nurse Carla Anthony that Saldívar needed to have the rape exam in San Antonio for three reasons: Saldívar was a resident of San Antonio, the clinic that they were currently at was in Corpus Christi, and the assault occurred in Mexico. Afterwards, Selena again met with Saldívar in her hotel room at the Days Inn in Corpus Christi, Texas. At the hotel, Selena demanded the financial papers. At 11:48 a.m. (CST), Saldívar got a gun from her purse and pointed it at Selena. As Selena attempted to flee the room, Saldívar shot her once on the right lower shoulder, severing an artery and causing a severe loss of blood. Critically wounded, she ran towards the lobby, leaving a 392-foot (119 m)-long trail of blood. She collapsed on the floor as the clerk called the emergency services, with Saldívar still chasing after her and calling her a "bitch". Before collapsing, Selena named Saldívar as her assailant and gave the number of the room where she had been shot. Meanwhile, Saldívar tried to leave in her pickup truck, but was spotted by a responding police cruiser. She surrendered to authorities after a nearly 9-and-a-half-hour standoff with the police and the FBI. By that time, hundreds of fans had gathered at the scene; many people wept as the police took Saldívar away. Selena was dead on arrival at the Corpus Christi hospital. The attending emergency room physician made the decision to attempt to revive her. Cardiologist Louis Elkins continued the treatment and performed surgery based on the emergency room physician's decision. Doctors were able to establish an "erratic heartbeat" long enough to transfer Selena to the trauma room. However, after 50 minutes of surgery, she was pronounced dead from blood loss and cardiac arrest at 1:05 p.m. (CST). An autopsy was performed on the same day due to overwhelming media interest; it was revealed that the bullet had entered Selena's upper right back, near her shoulder blade, passed through her chest cavity, severed the right subclavian artery and exited her right upper chest. Doctors said that if the bullet had been only one millimeter higher or lower, the wound would have been less severe. After death Funeral On April 1, 1995, Bayfront Plaza in Corpus Christi held a vigil which drew 3,000 fans. During the event, it was announced that a public viewing of the casket would be held at the Bayfront Auditorium the following day. Fans lined up for almost a mile (1500 m). An hour before the doors opened, rumors that the casket was empty began circulating, which prompted the Quintanilla family to have an open-casket viewing. About 30,000 to 40,000 fans passed by Selena's casket. More than 78,000 people signed a book of condolence. Flowers for the casket viewing were imported from The Netherlands. At the request of Selena's family, video and flash photography was banned. On April 3, 1995, 600 guests (mostly family members) attended Selena's burial at Seaside Memorial Park in Corpus Christi, Texas which was broadcast live by a Corpus Christi and San Antonio radio station without the consent of her family. A Jehovah's Witness minister from Lake Jackson preached in English, quoting Paul the Apostle's words in 1 Corinthians 15. Hundreds of people began circling the area in their vehicles. Among the celebrities who attended Selena's funeral were Roberto Pulido, Bobby Pulido, David Lee Garza, Navaira, Laura Canales, Elsa Garcia, La Mafia, Ram Herrera, Imagen Latina, and Pete Astudillo. A special mass held the same day at Los Angeles Sports Arena drew a crowd of 4,000. Impact Selena's murder had a widespread impact. Reactions to her death were compared to those following the deaths of musicians John Lennon, Elvis Presley, and U.S. president John F. Kennedy. Major television networks interrupted their regular programming to break the news; Tom Brokaw referred to Selena as "The Mexican Madonna." Selena's death was front-page news in The New York Times for two days. Numerous vigils and memorials were held in her honor, and radio stations in Texas played her music non-stop. Her funeral drew 60,000 mourners, many of whom traveled from outside the United States. The news struck the Hispanic community extremely hard; many fans traveled thousands of miles to see Selena's house and boutiques, and the crime scene. By mid-afternoon, police were asked to form a detour because a line of cars began backing up traffic from the Quintanillas' houses Among the celebrities who were reported to have contacted the Quintanilla family to express their condolences were Gloria Estefan, Celia Cruz, Julio Iglesias, and Madonna. Other celebrities (including Stefani Montiel, Jaime DeAnda (of Los Chamacos), and Shelly Lares) appeared on radio stations to express their thoughts about Selena's death. An issue of People magazine was released several days after her murder. Its publishers believed interest would soon wane; they released a commemorative issue within a week when it became apparent it was growing. The issue sold nearly a million copies, selling the entire first and second print runs within two weeks. It became a collector's item, a first in the history of People. Betty Cortina, editor of People, told Biography they never had an issue that was completely sold out; "it was unheard of". In the following months, the company released People en Español aimed at the Hispanic market, due to the success of the Selena issue; this was followed by Newsweek en Espanol and Latina magazine. A few days later, Howard Stern mocked Selena's murder and burial, poked fun at her mourners, and criticized her music. He said, "This music does absolutely nothing for me. Alvin and the Chipmunks have more soul ... Spanish people have the worst taste in music. They have no depth." Stern's comments outraged and infuriated the Hispanic community in Texas. He played Selena's songs with gunshots in the background on his show. After a disorderly conduct arrest warrant was issued in his name, Stern made an on-air statement, in Spanish, saying his comments were not made to cause "more anguish to her family, friends and those who loved her." Stern was not formally charged. The League of United Latin American Citizens boycotted Stern's show, finding his apology unacceptable. Texas retailers removed any products that were related to Stern, while Sears and McDonald's sent a letter stating their disapproval of Stern's comments to the media, because some fans believed the companies sponsored Stern's show. Within a week, on NBC's The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Stern and Robin Quivers (his co-host) were asked whether Stern's remarks about Selena were acceptable. Quivers decided not to talk about the situation to avoid arguing with Stern. When Linda Ronstadt (a pop singer of Mexican-American heritage) appeared on the show, she and Quivers argued when Ronstadt defended Selena. On April 12, 1995, two weeks after Selena's death, George W. Bush, governor of Texas at the time, declared her birthday, April 16, Selena Day in the state. He said that Selena represented "the essence of south Texas culture." Some European Americans in Texas wrote to the editor of the Brazosport Facts during April and May, asking what the big deal was; some were offended that Selena Day fell on Easter Sunday. Other people said, "Easter is more important than Selena Day", and that they believed people should let Selena rest in peace and continue with their lives. Mexican Americans in Texas wrote vociferously to the newspaper; some said others were too critical of Selena Day, and should not have responded so rudely. In October of 1995, a Houston jury convicted Yolanda Saldívar of first-degree murder and sentenced her to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 30 years in 2025; life with the possibility of parole was the maximum prison term allowed in Texas that could be imposed at the time. In 2002, under a judge's order, the gun used to kill Selena was destroyed and the pieces were thrown into Corpus Christi Bay. Fans and historians disapproved of the decision to destroy the gun, saying the event was historical and the gun should have been in a museum. Legacy Selena has been credited for helping redefine Latin music and its subgenres of Tejano, cumbia, and Latin pop. She broke barriers in the Latin music world. She is considered "one of the most significant Mexican American singers of the end of the twentieth century". People magazine named Selena one of the most intriguing people of the 20th century. US Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison named Selena one of "the spirited women who shaped United States." Selena also became one of the "most celebrated cultural products" of the United States-Mexico borderlands. She was called the "Queen of Tejano music", and was described as "the most important and popular Tejano star of all time". Selena's death was "the most devastating loss" in Tejano music history, according to Zach Quaintance of The Monitor. At the time of her death, Selena became one of the most widely known Mexican-American vocal artists and the most popular Latin artist in the United States. She had a "cult-like" following among Hispanics. Selena has been named one of the most influential Latin artists of all-time and has been credited for elevating a music genre into the mainstream market. Latin Post called the singer "one of the most iconic artists in Latin American music history" while The New York Times called her "arguably the most important Latina musician in the country, on her way to becoming one of the most important, period." Selena became a household name in the United States and in Mexico following her death and became part of the American pop culture. Selena became more popular in death than when she was alive. After her death, her popularity among the Hispanic population was compared to those of Marilyn Monroe and Madonna in Anglo-American culture. According to author Carlota Caulfield, Selena was "one of the most popular Latina singers of the 1990s." Her popularity was drawn in by the LGBT community and minority groups in the United States. The popularity of Tejano music waned after her death and has not recovered. John Lannert of Billboard said in an interview with Biography in 2007 that when Selena died the "Tejano market died with her." In July of 1995, "Dreaming of You" (the crossover album Selena had been working on at the time of her death) was released. It sold 175,000 copies on the day of its release in the United States (a then-record for a female vocalist) and sold 331,000 copies its first week. Selena became the third female artist to sell over 300,000 units in one week (after Janet Jackson and Mariah Carey). It debuted at number one on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart, becoming the first album by a Hispanic artist to do so. "Dreaming of You" helped Selena to become the first solo artist to debut a posthumous album at number one. The album joined five of Selena's studio albums on the Billboard 200 chart simultaneously, making Selena the first female artist in Billboard history to do so. It was certified 59× platinum (Latin field), for sales of 3.54 million album-equivalent units in the U.S. alone. As of 2017, the album has sold over 2.942 million copies in the U.S. making it the best-selling Latin album of all-time in the country according to Nielsen SoundScan. As of 2015, it has sold five million copies worldwide. In 2008, Joey Guerra of the Houston Chronicle said its lead single, "I Could Fall in Love", had "made the Tejano goddess a posthumous crossover star". Selena's death was believed to have sparked an interest in Latin music by people who were unaware of its existence. It was also believed her death "opened the doors" to other Latin musicians such as Jennifer Lopez, Ricky Martin, and Shakira. In 1995, the United States Social Security Administration ranked the name Selena one of the 100 most popular names for newborn girls, and namesake Selena Gomez acknowledged Quintanilla's influence. In December of 1999, Selena was named the "top Latin artist of the '90s" and "Best selling Latin artist of the decade" by Billboard for her fourteen top-ten singles in the Top Latin Songs chart, including seven number-one hits. She was the best-selling Latin female singer of the 1990s in the U.S. and Mexico. Selena was named "Best Female Vocalist of the '80s" and "Best Female Vocalist of the '90s" at the 2010 Tejano Music Awards. In the months following her death, a number of honors and tributes were erected. Several proposals were made, such as renaming streets, public parks, food products and auditoriums. Two months later, a tribute was held at the 1995 Lo Nuestro Awards. The Spirit of Hope Award was created in Selena's honor in 1996; it was awarded to Latin artists who participated in humanitarian and civic causes. On March 16, 2011, the United States Postal Service released a "Latin Legends" memorial stamp to honor Selena, Carlos Gardel, Tito Puente, Celia Cruz, and Carmen Miranda. In February 2014, the Albany, NY Times Union named her one of "100 Coolest Americans in History". In 1998, Selena was commemorated with a museum. In 1995, Selena was inducted into the Billboard Latin Music Hall of Fame, the Hard Rock Cafe's Hall of Fame and the South Texas Music Hall of Fame. In 2001, she was inducted into the Tejano Music Hall of Fame. In 2017, she received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The unveiling ceremony of her star was attended by around 4,500 fans, which was the largest-ever crowd for an unveiling ceremony at the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Selena was named one of the 20 most influential Texans of all time by author Laurie Jasinski. She was ranked fifth of the "100 most influential Latin musicians of the 20th century" according to the Orange County Register. Selena has been given many epithets by media outlets, including the "Queen of Latin music", the "Queen of Cumbia", the "Chicana Elvis", the "Queen of hybrid pop culture", the "Hispanic Marilyn Monroe", the "Tupac Shakur of Latin music", the "Corpus Christi queen" and the "people's princess". Media have compared Selena's fashion sense to that of Madonna more times than any other celebrity. In 1995, Mexican actress Salma Hayek was chosen to play the role of Selena in a biopic film produced by the Quintanilla family and Warner Bros, but Hayek turned the role down; she said she felt it was "too early" to base a movie on Selena and that it would be emotional because Selena's death was still being covered on U.S. television. Puerto Rican-American actress Jennifer Lopez replaced Hayek, which drew criticism because of Lopez' Puerto-Rican ancestry. Over 21,000 people auditioned for the title role, becoming the second largest audition since the search for Scarlett O'Hara in "Gone With the Wind." Gregory Nava directed the film, "Selena" which was released on March 21, 1997. After seeing Lopez' performance in it, fans changed their views on her. The film opened in 1,850 theaters worldwide and grossed $11,615,722, making it the second-highest-grossing film debut that week. With a production budget of $20 million, the film grossed $35 million in the U.S.298 The film was a commercial & critical success, and is often cited by critics as Jennifer Lopez's breakthrough role. Lopez rose into pop culture, for which the film's success was credited. In 1999, a Broadway-bound musical titled Selena was scheduled to premiere in San Antonio in March 2000 to commemorate the fifth anniversary of her murder. Broadway producers Tom Quinn, Jerry Frankel, Peter Fitzgerald, and Michael Vega staged the musical and Edward Gallardo wrote the show's book and lyrics. Fernando Rivas composed the show's songs. In 2000, "Selena Forever" was first produced; the show embarked on a 30-city U.S. tour with a budget of over US$2 million. After a national casting call, producers chose Veronica Vasquez to portray Selena; Vasquez alternated in the role with Rebecca Valdez. The musical previewed on March 21, and opened on March 23 at the San Antonio Municipal Auditorium. On April 7, 2005 (a week after the 10th anniversary of her murder), Selena's family and her former band, Los Dinos, held a tribute concert, titled "Selena ¡VIVE!" It was broadcast live on Univision and achieved a 35.9 household rating, and was the highest-rated and most-viewed Spanish-language television special in the history of American television. The special was also the number-one program in any language among adults ages 18 to 34 in Los Angeles, Chicago, and San Francisco; it tied for first in New York, beating that night's episode of Fox's reality show, "American Idol." Among Hispanic viewers, "Selena ¡VIVE!" outperformed Super Bowl XLV and the telenovela "Soy tu dueña" during the "most-watched NFL season ever among Hispanics." In January 2015, it was announced that a two-day annual event called Fiesta de la Flor would be held in Corpus Christi for Selena by the Corpus Christi Visitors Bureau. Musical acts for the first annual event included Kumbia All-Starz, Chris Pérez, Los Lobos, Jay Perez, Little Joe y la Familia, Los Palominos, Stefani Montiel of Las 3 Divas, Girl in a Coma's Nina Diaz, Las Fenix, and The Voice competitor Clarissa Serna. The event raised $13 million with an attendance of 52,000 people with 72% of whom lived outside of Corpus Christi. The event sparked interest from people in 35 states and five different countries including Mexico, Brazil, and Ecuador. On August 30, 2016, a wax figure of Selena was unveiled at Madame Tussauds Hollywood. In October of 2016, MAC Cosmetics released a limited edition Selena makeup line after "On Air with Ryan Seacrest" senior producer Patty Rodriguez started a petition for the company to do so and it garnering over 37,000 signatures. It became the best-selling celebrity line in cosmetic history. She was inducted into the Texas Women's Hall of Fame at Texas Woman's University in October 2016. An exhibit at the National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C. that ran in 2017, focused on Selena's influence in marketing. "Due to her massive appeal to both general and Latino markets, advertisers began targeting specific demographics for the first time." On October 17, 2017, Google honored Selena on October 17, 2017 with a musical doodle of her life. On December 11, 2018, it was announced that a biographical television series based on Selena's life called "Selena: The Series" is scheduled to be aired on Netflix in 2020. The two-part series is being done with the participation of the Quintanilla family. Forever 21 announced the launch of a clothing line celebrating her legacy named “Selena: The While Rose Collection,” to be released in 2019. Selected discography ;Independent Studio albums *''Selena Y Los Dinos'' (1984) *''The New Girl in Town'' (1985) *''Alpha'' (1986) *''Muñequito de Trapo'' (1987) *''And The Winner Is...'' (1987) *''Preciosa'' (1988) *''Dulce Amor'' (1988) ;EMI Studio albums *''Selena'' (1989) *''Ven Conmigo'' (1990) *''Entre A Mi Mundo'' (1992) *''Live!'' (1993) *''Amor Prohibido'' (1994) *''Dreaming of You'' (1995) Filmography References See also *''Selena Products'' *''Selena discography'' *''Selena videography'' *''Selena filmography'' *''List of Selena songs'' *''Awards and Nominations received by Selena'' *''List of Selena tours'' Category:Selena Category:HAPPY BIRTHDAY HAPPY BIRTHDAY HAPPY BIRTHDAY HAPPY BIRTHDAY HAPPY BIRTHDAY HAPPY BIRTHDAY HAPPY BIRTHDAY HAPPY BIRTHDAY HAPPY BIRTHDAY HAPPY BIRTHDAY HAPPY BIRTHDAY HAPPY BIRTHDAY SELENA Category:HAPPY BIRTHDAY TUESDAY APRIL 16 Category:LOVE FROM FANS. Category:HAPPY BIRTHDAY